Latest news from FE Week

Exams: Some colleges ‘unnecessarily’ doing too many ‘plan B’ tests

Some schools and colleges are “unnecessarily” getting students to take too many tests as part of “plan B” exams preparation, the government has admitted.

The Department for Education and Ofqual have issued draft guidance on how education providers should collect teacher assessed grades (TAGs) evidence as part of “long-term resilience arrangements” for exams from 2024 onwards.

While cancellation of GCSE and A-level exams nationwide is “unlikely”, they said it “remains good public policy to have contingency arrangements”.

The government faced fierce criticism for not having an “off-the-shelf plan B” when exams were cancelled for a second time in early 2021 due to the pandemic.

Schools and colleges are currently collecting students’ performance evidence for the third year in a row, just in case the exams for some reason cannot be sat.

But in new draft guidance, Ofqual and DfE said in the last three years “we have seen some examples of schools [and colleges] introducing additional assessments for the purpose of gathering evidence of student performance, which we consider to be unnecessary and counter to supporting students as they prepare for their exams”.

“We are keen that students benefit from the opportunities they are given to prepare for their exams, and certainly are not adversely affected by taking too many assessments.”

They added a “small number” of schools and colleges “created a large number of new and additional mock exams and assessments” this year.

The new guidance states that one full set of mock exams sat in exam conditions is “likely to provide sufficient evidence” for TAGs. There is “no need” to complete multiple mock sets for evidence, they said.

This year they stopped short of repeating advice on the frequency of testing after previously saying a “sensible approach” would be to test once a term.

Ofqual and DfE fear over-assessment could “lead to reduced teaching and study time and additional exam-related anxiety”.

Similar guidance to 2023

The rest of the proposals are similar to the guidance in place for this summer.

For example, teachers should plan so that the gathered evidence assessed pupils “on a wide range of content” which is similar to their summer exams.

Students should be told, where possible, before taking any test whether it would form part of the evidence base for TAGs.

Half of schools consulted last year on the 2023 guidance said the plans would increase workload.

Ofqual has also since heard from students that while some found the plan B arrangements “beneficial” to prepare for exams, others felt “greater anxiety” mock exams could be used for final grades.

The exams regulator is also asking for views on updating its conditions so the plan B proposals can be put in place.

VTQ arrangements

For VTQs used alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels for progression to further or higher study, Ofqual propose that similar arrangements should be put in place to general qualifications, but these would “need to be set by awarding organisations to allow the arrangements to reflect the design of their qualifications”.

“We propose that it should be for awarding organisations to determine if and/or what such guidance might be, noting the need for them to take into account the proposed approach for GCSEs and A-levels,” today’s guidance said.

“This would include Technical Qualifications within T Levels. For other VTQs, which assess occupational or professional competence, proficiency, or act as a licence to practise, these resilience arrangements would not apply.”

The overall consultation runs until August 2.

UCU boss agrees to pay damages over ‘reckless’ tweets

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady will make a payout to a trade union activist and author following a Twitter row that forced a libel hearing.

In a statement on social media today, Grady confirmed she would pay “a sum of money” to former firefighter and Fire Brigades Union activist Paul Embery over the incident, but said she was doing so “without any admission of liability”.

It follows a High Court hearing today, where Judge Jaron Lewis heard from representatives from Brett Wilson LLP on behalf of Embery that he and Grady had agreed on a settlement, which media reports suggest is just under £10,000 in damages and around £12,000 in costs.

That sum will be donated to groups campaigning to protect women’s rights, a statement from Embery on Twitter said.

The case pertains to social media posts in August 2022 when Embery had been on a train journey between London and Norwich and took exception to a group of women reportedly using sexually-explicit profanities which could be heard by his children and other passengers.

According to Embery’s legal team he was met with hostility when he tried to speak to the women, and then filmed the group and tweeted a photo to train operator Greater Anglia to raise the issue.

Tweets published by Grady following the incident included one which said: “Grow up Paul and take a day off bullying women and pretending to be outraged for clicks. It’s pathetic at any age, but especially yours.”

Another continued: “It’s creepy to record young women on the train, share that video, and lie about them on social media for clout.”

Embery’s lawyer claimed the tweets from the “highly influential figure”, which were “liked” thousands of times, had accused the FBU activist of “being a serial harasser of women and lying about the incident in question” and caused him “immeasurable harm”, according to the Perspective Magazine.

“They contained wild and reckless allegations; all entirely without foundation,” the lawyer told the court today.

Embery said that Grady has agreed to pay substantial damages and legal costs after publishing “a serious libel about me,” adding that she had agreed not to repeat the libel.

Embery had launched a crowdfunding campaign to support his legal action, confirming that any unused funds for legal fees will be donated to charity in line with the platform’s rules.

Grady’s statement said that she did not share Embery’s understanding of the tweets, adding “nor do I accept any liability in relation to any potential claim Mr Embery may believe he has against me”.

However, Grady said that she was unable to invest the lengthy amount of time nor could afford the financial commitment involved to fight a defamation case.

“As a result of this I have reluctantly agreed, without any admission of liability, to personally pay a sum of money to Mr Embery which he has agreed to pay to charity. He has agreed in return not to issue any proceedings against me,” she added.

The UCU declined to comment as it was a “private matter”.

Catholic sixth form college stays ‘outstanding’ after 15-year inspection gap

A Catholic sixth form college in Manchester is celebrating after retaining its ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating after 15 years – a period in which its student population almost doubled.

Xaverian College had around 1,500 learners back in February 2008, when it was last fully inspected, but now has more than 2,800 students according to its latest inspection report published today.

The catholic sixth form college, based in Rusholme, Manchester, was handed the top rating in all areas following its latest visit in March 2023.

Delighted college principal Anthony Knowles said the report was a testament to the hard work of staff and students over the last 15 years.

“At Xaverian, we put our students first and ensure that they leave college with the highest grades possible and fond memories and friendships that will last a lifetime,” he said.

“As principal of the college, I have to say how proud I am of everyone within the college community who has contributed to this outcome, and of our amazing students who consistently demonstrate their commitment to their studies and the enthusiasm they have for being a part of the Xaverian family.”

Most students are on A-level, vocational level 3 programmes or a mix of both, with a small number on level 2 vocational courses or foundation learning studies.

Inspectors praised the “overwhelmingly positive” attitude of students, who spoke highly of the support they received, as well as the pride staff took in working at the college and the high expectations they placed on learners.

Ofsted said the culture of the college was “warm, welcoming and aspirational” and included “extensive” extra-curricular activities.

The report noted that students were well-informed about studying at higher levels and prepared well for their progression into higher education, apprenticeships or work.

Inspectors said the college had a good relationship with the local authority and other Catholic colleges and feeder schools.

It said that leaders offered additional programmes to boost employability in specific skills areas, including an extended project qualification for students to develop independent research skills, an access programme for students aspiring to careers as dentists and health professionals and qualifications for music students.

In addition, access programmes developed with higher education partners helped support disadvantaged students in priority subjects such as science.

The report said that teachers are experienced subject experts who delivered a “highly ambitious curriculum” while leaders personalised continuous professional development for staff to boost students’ learning.

Staff took time to find out what learners can and can’t do at the start of their courses, with teaching planned to help learners remember key concepts, the report continued.

For SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) students, inspectors said support was “highly effective”, with students making progress in line with their peers and teachers receiving specialised training in areas such as mental health, autism and visual impairments.

The report continued that precise feedback on homework helped students progress.

Leaders were praised for monitoring the quality of education and being “considerate of staff’s welfare and workload” while governors were also recognised for their commitment to the college’s vision.

The feat means all 44 of England’s sixth form colleges continue to be rated either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

First approved digital functional skills awarding body revealed

The first awarding body to get their digital functional skills qualifications over the line has been revealed.

Gateway Qualifications today announced that regulator Ofqual has signed off on its offer ahead of delivery set to commence in August 2023.

With just four months to go before the launch date, 10 other awarding bodies continue through the stringent approvals process.

Digital functional skills qualifications (DFSQs) have been in the works for several years and form part of the Department of Education’s strategy for digital skills, alongside essential digital skills courses that became available in August 2020.

DFSQs will be available at entry level and level 1 and are being designed to provide learners with the skills to use a range of software applications, navigate the internet and keep safe online.

They will replace all existing functional skills ICT qualifications from July 31, 2023.

Paul Saunders, commercial director at Gateway Qualifications, said: “Digital skills are increasingly important for both life, study and work, and we are pleased to be at the forefront of making available this new, but essential qualification to colleges and training providers across the UK.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating the adoption of digital technologies, the need for individuals to have basic digital skills has never been more important.”

Gateway Qualifications was also the first awarding body to gain approval for essential digital skills qualifications in August 2020.

It was in fact the only awarding organisation to get sign off to offer the courses in time for that deadline. The DfE and Ofqual will hope the other awarding organisations seeking to offer DFSQs will not repeat those delays this time around.

Each awarding organisation must go through a “technical evaluation” process with Ofqual to ensure they are “valid and fit for purpose” before being made available to colleges and training providers to deliver.

Ofqual publishes the progress so far for each awarding body and places them on a five-point scale – one being the furthest from approval and five meaning sign off has been granted.

Of the 10 other awarding bodies going through this process for DFSQs, three are at stage four, four are at stage three, and three are at stage one.

Organisation	Entry Level 3	Level 1
BCS	3	3
City & Guilds	4	4
Gateway	5	5
Highfield	1	1
iCan Qualifications	1	1
NCFE	4	4
NOCN	3	3
OCNLR	4	4
Pearson	3	3
TLM	3	3
TQUK	1	1

Source: Ofqual

Slowly layering pre-work support for SEND students is vital. I’m autistic myself – I know

Last year I was trolled by a welfare rights officer. They objected to me using my own autistic lived experience in a leadership role to lift others and give representation to my autistic students. The reason? I am normalising the idea that autistic people can work.

Unless either you or a loved one are autistic you may not know that just 29 per cent of autistic adults in the UK are in paid employment. Of those autistic people not yet ‘out’, 65 per cent said they wouldn’t disclose their neurodiversity to their line manager through fear of discrimination.

Over the years, my various roles in the education and children’s sectors have involved working with students, staff and employers. I have found a few initiatives to be particularly effective in preparing autistic students for the world of work.

Manager confidence is key

Workplace culture is everything. If you are going to support your neurodiverse students to find jobs they love, your neurodiverse staff must love their jobs too.

This is all about upskilling your managers to ensure staff feel included and valued. Too many managers have their own internal imposter syndrome going on and what you can then get is a culture of managers wanting to be popular with the crowd.

But inclusion is an intentional act and successfully managing workplace adjustments for disabled staff requires strong, confident leaders to manage those non-disabled team members who may gripe that “It’s not fair she gets to wear ear defenders,” or “Why can he work hybrid three days per week,” or “It’s so unfair they get interview questions in advance!”

One way to tackle this is asking your managers about their confidence to manage case studies on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in small group workshops, so they do not lose face.

I would urge all would-be employers to examine their own workplace culture first when it comes to helping students transition to jobs. The ground must be fertile to plant a seed that grows.

Offer staged internships

Many students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) aren’t ready for year-long, full-time supported internships and it’s important for them to ‘try before they buy’. This can be done by providing different study levels and pathways.

An example is the provision at Digital Independent Specialist College (DISC). This Manchester-based college delivers programmes in partnership with SENDCode, a social enterprise that supports young, neurodiverse people who are not engaging in education. Together, they’ve crafted three layered programmes for their students including an alternative provision pathway which gives an insight into their pre-internship for school-aged students who struggle to access the mainstream curriculum.

They also offer a flexible pre-internship, based on students’ interests, which includes remote learning, travel training, work at DISC’s city centre studio and, where appropriate, external work placements.

A year-long, full-time supported internship for young people with an EHCP is also available alongside pastoral, peer-to-peer and weekly maths and English support.

Recreate work settings

Develop ‘pop-up’ employment experiences where students work on live briefs and feel what it’s like to work in an organisation, but within the small-scale, supported environment of their own college setting.

In the past, we’ve worked with charity, Digital Advantage on developing a replica creative agency within New Bridge where our students design logos, write scripts, and make films and podcasts. It’s significantly improved their confidence, self-esteem and understanding of how businesses operate.

Showcase top job opportunities

In May 2022, we took our digital pathway students from our college to Apple’s headquarters in Chicago to design a new app. It’s an experience they will never forget; they were so energised and determined after the visit. We must push at the ambitions of young people with SEND so they can carve out a meaningful future for themselves.

Support employers to adapt

Colleges must work with employers, so they adjust their recruitment practices. Online job ads, complex application forms and formal interviews might mean businesses are missing out on many talented young people with SEND.

Students, too, need support to navigate the recruitment process so they can continue to be themselves and achieve what we all want – to start, stay and succeed in work.

The Ideas Room shows what meetings could be like. Come try it out

We’ve all been to this kind of meeting. The kind that leaves you feeling over-worked and under-valued. The kind you have to sit through although most of the agenda doesn’t concern you, when you could be doing something more productive. The kind where the person who keeps asking questions is resented because they’ve made the thing over-run. The kind where content is delivered at you, a fait accompli that requires nothing from you, and especially not well-intentioned feedback.

Do you ever wish there was a safe space for you to go, where you could openly share and discuss ideas without fear of being judged or interrupted? A space beyond the physical confines of your office or classroom walls, and populated by FE professionals from across the country, all eager and ready to connect with you? Do you yearn for a new way of conducting meetings, to empower your teams to really think and listen to each other?

Good news: This space exists, and it is open and ready to welcome you.

I always leave the Ideas Room feeling re-energised, refreshed, and inspired, and I know you will feel the same.

Created and facilitated by the JoyFE Collective (a group set up by Dr Lou Mycroft and Stefanie Tinsley during the first Covid lockdown as a way for FE practitioners to stay connected during those challenging times), the Ideas Room is based on the principles of Nancy Kline’s Thinking Environment.

In short, it is the very opposite of traditional meetings: there is no fixed agenda; everyone is treated equally; job roles and hierarchy are left at the door; everyone has the opportunity to speak without interruption; no advice is given. It is truly a space full of opportunity and potential, where ideas can grow and thrive.

Here’s how it works.

At first, everyone in the room is invited to share how they are doing and whether they have an idea to explore or are simply there to listen. Everyone takes it in turn to answer honestly and succinctly, without interruption. I felt self-conscious the first time I attended, but soon realised that there was no judgement from anyone. We listened intently to each other as we shared our feelings, not only about work but some personal things too. (It is up to each individual how much they want to share.)

Next, those with an idea briefly explain it and then everyone splits off into breakout rooms (one room per idea). The person with the idea explains it in more detail, and then we take it turns to share our freshest thinking about that idea, again without interruption. Ideas range from initial thoughts about a lesson plan or teaching idea to topics for CPD or research projects and right through to wider themes such as inclusion and motivation. Any FE-related topic is welcome.

Active listening is often missing from traditional meetings, but in the Ideas Room the act of switching off your mic is a powerful one. Forced to listen to the speaker without interrupting them, we listen more intently. It’s equally powerful for the speaker, who is free to share their thoughts and ideas with complete control over how much to say and the time to pause as required. It is wonderful to watch thoughts being formed and then verbalised in real time.

The framework of the Ideas Room can be applied to any meeting. Indeed, it has the power to transform how leaders interact with their team members by facilitating honest thinking in a safe space that is rooted in respect and equality.

The Ideas Room is held on Zoom every Wednesday evening from 8 to 9pm, and Fridays from 9 to 10am during term-time. It is a genuinely enriching way to reach out to the FE community and, as Joy FE put it, to let your thinking grow.

Work meetings might take some time to catch up, but in the meantime there’s a space for every professional to have a voice. I hope to hear yours soon.

To access the Ideas Room connect with #JoyFE on your favourite social media platform

Automation will result in different jobs – not fewer – but we must adapt

With the recent launch of Open AI’s ChatGPT 4, headlines about the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on human employment prospects have again reached a fever-pitch.

And just as technology seems to work harder, faster and better than the average person, we are faced with the reality that the UK remains consistently on the back foot when it comes to workforce skills.

There is a persistent skills gap across key industries and – with the exponential rise of digital technologies in almost all sectors – we urgently need a talent pipeline that can keep pace with automation across the country.

The good news is that automation will not necessarily mean fewer jobs in the UK – but it will lead to different jobs across different regions.

Our new Local Skills Report takes a serious look at the changing nature of employment in the UK. Pearson’s AI-predictive modelling harnesses these emerging technologies to glean fresh insights into the future of work.

In brief, Pearson’s Workforce Skills division applies proprietary machine learning models to billions of data points in order to surface insights on how dynamic forces such as new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the world of work.

Using the West Midlands as a case study, our modelling suggests that 15 per cent of jobs in the region (affecting over 400,000 people) will see significant change over the next decade due to automation. Looking at specific sectors in the region, the biggest net change in demand will be for cleaners (+3,286 jobs), carers (+2,778 jobs) and HGV drivers (+2,680 jobs); in other words, roles that technology and automation will struggle to replace.

This is a shift that will require major changes in the skillsets of the local population.

In order to best determine next steps, we conducted a substantial public opinion survey on attitudes towards skills and retraining.

It is striking that-two thirds of the respondents (64 per cent) were interested in undertaking a course to learn new skills. Critically though, only 4 per cent of the public claim to know exactly what type of courses are available to learn new skills and only 5 per cent know what institutions offer programmes that develop skills.

The public are clearly committed to learning useful skills that will help them find better, sustainable jobs – but interventions are required to steer individuals towards employable skillsets that will boost their prospects.

So how do we act upon what the data is telling us? This is, of course, the difficult bit. Our new report makes the following recommendations:

Use data to plan for the future

We need to keep looking forward in order to anticipate the skills we will need in five, ten or even fifteen years’ time. Data insights can help anticipate the shifting demand and supply of skills, and policymakers should then respond accordingly.

Further devolution to Combined Authorities

Those at the heart of English regions understand local needs and what can be done to meet them. Building on the recent “trailblazer” devolution deals, we need to go further when it comes to coordination over 16-18 skills delivery, post-19 skills funding, and autonomy over careers advice for adults of all ages.

Incentivise employers to take the lead

Individuals are more likely to make the time for skills training when encouraged by their current or prospective employer. Central and local government officials should therefore explore what policy levers can empower employers to offer more robust and systematic training to their employees.

Embrace modular learning

We should embrace technology to make it as easy as possible for individuals to integrate skills training into their day-to-day lives. Stackable micro-credentials that can be accumulated over flexible timelines will help to build a realistic culture of lifelong learning

Bring providers together

Finally, we must ensure there is a unified ‘supply side’ architecture for training in a local area. It will take a coalition of local policymakers, local employers and education providers to do everything they can to make this happen.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 424

Roy O’Shaughnessy

Chair, Twin Group

Start date: May 2023

Previous job: Chief Executive Officer, Capital City College Group

Interesting fact: Roy spent much of his childhood in remote parts of Central, Northern, and Southern Africa. He once saw an eagle drop onto the tail of a large leguan with such force the tail came off, and the eagle flew off with the tail clasped within its claws.

Nick Harrison

Chief executive, The Sutton Trust

Start date: May 2023

Previous job: Chief Growth Officer, MatchesFashion

Interesting fact: Nick is an adventure seeker. He climbed Mount Blanc before having children and hopes to get back to mountaineering at some point. He is also a keen scuba diver and once went dive hunting with a pack of reef sharks at night in the Pacific.

Government should consider bringing back maintenance support

Social mobility is a widely used and hotly contested phrase, but one that we at the Skills and Education Group understand to mean improved financial and educational performance across generations or throughout a person’s life. We know that social mobility is a long game, with many rungs to its ladder. We see our role as supporting learners and staff to keep those rungs accessible to all.

We do this by providing financial support to learners so they can attend their classes and achieve their qualifications. We fund staff to enable them to pursue professional development opportunities or research projects with the aim of making themselves more effective in the classroom. We offer our members grants that enable them to improve their resources and facilities, providing an up-to-date, industry-standard education for learners. We know that without this support the opportunities available to those most in need would be severely limited – something that flies in the face of the quest for social mobility.

Of course, the popular narrative of social mobility is the ‘smart kid from poor background goes to university and gets into a white-collar profession’. The mostly unspoken part is that the young person then most likely leaves the place where they came from. We’re sure these cases exist but what we see everyday are people from lower socio-economic positions or with negative experiences of school turning to their local FE colleges to continue their educational journey post 16.

It’s colleges and providers that give these learners the chance to gain skills. They offer clear routes to stable and more prosperous jobs and, crucially, do so within their own communities. This means those who benefit from their local college can, in turn, go on to benefit the town and community where they live.

Our support removed practical barriers that impeded committed learners

At the Foundation, we work with anyone over the age of 16 and it’s worth noting that around a quarter of learner recipients are over the age of 35. We know our grants for learners have a clear, decisive and positive effect on educational outcomes. Initial findings from an independent analysis of our work show that in the 21/22 academic year there was more than a 20 per cent difference in pass rates between grant recipients (97.8 per cent) and those in the wider cohort (77 per cent).

The support we offered in each case was not large-scale, with an average spend of £553 per head. We weren’t buying learners houses or providing them with sustained private tutoring. Instead, our funding most often provided learners with support around travel costs, utilities expenses and the purchase of learning technology like laptops and course software. In doing so, it removed the debilitating stress and pressure of short-term, logistical concerns and enabled them to focus on the course they were passionate about. We simply removed some of the practical barriers that impeded committed learners from getting the most out of their time at college, raising them a few rungs up that ladder.

Since our establishment in 2019, the number of learners we have supported has more than doubled year on year. At the time of writing, we have helped 309 learners in the 2022/23 academic year alone. As we continue to weather the storm of a cost-of-living crisis and as learners continue to balance the demands of their lives with their passion for education, the need for our work will persist. Indeed, the demand for it and the impact we see that it has, pose the question as to whether it is time for the government to consider a return to a revised form of educational maintenance support.

Our sector is filled with excellent staff and with dedicated students who, with a little extra help, can achieve life-changing results in their own hometowns. We remain dedicated to them, today and in future generations, and will never stop looking for ways to empower them to climb the ladder.